MERLIN THEATRE TRUST LIMITED

Registered charity 1012630 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

To advance education and provide facilities in the interest of social welfare for recreation and leisure time for the inhabitants of Frome and the surrounding neighbourhood.

Causes: Arts/culture/heritage/science · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£270k
Latest spending
£262k
Registered
1992
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity generated a small surplus of £2,539, increasing its free reserves to £48,464. However, the trustees note that the theatre is in a precarious position if costs continue to increase, citing significant rises in salaries and running costs. Despite these pressures, the trustees confirm adequate resources are available to fund activities for the foreseeable future.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Fundraising cost ratio: 9.6% of fundraised income — near the median for charities its size (2.9%)
EXPENDITURE ON Raising funds 25,904
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: £25,000 to £30,000 (held: £48k)
The trustees consider that the ideal level of reserves as at 31 March 2025 would be £25,000 to £30,000.
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Property (HM Land Registry)

1 registered titlein England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (0 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Trustees · trustee networks

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Somerset

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£270k£262k
31/03/2024£247k£256k
31/03/2023£212k£231k
31/03/2022£66k£48k
31/03/2021£90k£77k

Common questions

Is MERLIN THEATRE TRUST LIMITED financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity generated a small surplus of £2,539, increasing its free reserves to £48,464. However, the trustees note that the theatre is in a precarious position if costs continue to increase, citing significant rises in salaries and running costs. Despite these pressures, the trustees confirm adequate resources are available to fund activities for the foreseeable future. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Community Fund24/08/2005£5kfinding a voice

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with MADDERMARKET THEATRE TRUST LIMITED.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
MERLIN THEATRE TRUST LIMITED£270k0above9.6%no doubt
MADDERMARKET THEATRE TRUST LIMITED FY2025£620k0unclearno doubt
BLACKPOOL GRAND THEATRE TRUST LIMITED FY2025£227k0belowno doubt
NEWCASTLE THEATRE ROYAL TRUST LIMITED FY2025£16.3munclearno doubt
THEATRE@41 LTD FY2025£101k0unclearno doubt
SCARBOROUGH THEATRE TRUST LIMITED FY2025£3.1mbelownoted

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.